Drilling engine auxiliary lubricating system



March 12, 1957 w. B. SORENSON ETAL 2,784,807

DRILLING ENGINE AUXILIARY LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 18, 1955 FzL a. 2

5 H Mn N T a .e R v5. 0 m5 r W5 7 I wl J A 6 & NA Y B DRILLING ENGINE AUXILIARY LUBRICATING SYSTEM William B. Sorenson and Arlie Gt Lacefieid, Oklahoma Qity, Okla.

This invention relates to improvements in oil and gas well drilling engines, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel auxiliary lubricating system for such engines.

As it is well known in the oil and gas well drilling in dustry, the majority of drilling engines utilize a gaseous fuel and are somewhat difiicult to start, particularly in cold weather. As a result, these engines usually have a small gasoline starting engine permanently installed on one side thereof to turn the drilling engine over until the drilling engine can warm-up and function properly under its own power. During this starting period, the main oil pump of the drilling engine does not force an adequate amount of lubricant to the various lubricating points. Therefore, the bearings and other working parts of the drilling engine usually run dry, or substantially dry, while the engine is being warmed-up to materially shorten the service life of the engine and increase the maintenance costs.

The present invention contemplates a novel system for lubricating a drilling engine during the warm-up period. An auxiliary oil pump is connected to the main lubricating system in a position to by-pass the main oil pump and is powered by the starting engine. The system contemplates a novel arrangement for driving the auxiliary oil pump by the starting engine, whereby the present system is made particularly adaptable to existing drilling installations without any substantial changes to the existing installation. In using the present system, the working parts of a drilling engine are lubricated prior to starting the drilling engine, as well as during the warmup period, to completely eliminate a dry run of the drilling engine.

An important object of this invention is to reduce the maintenance costs and extend the service life of drilling engines.

Another object of this invention is to provide an auxiliary lubricating system for drilling engines.

A further object of this invention is to provide an auxiliary lubricating system which may be easily and conveniently installed on an existing drilling installation without materially changing the existing installation and at a minimum cost.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate operation of drilling engines without proper lubrication.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive drilling engine auxiliary lubricating system which may be economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a drilling engine having the present auxiliary lubricating system installed thereon, wherein all of the old portions of the structure are shown by dotted lines.

ti States Patent Patented Mar. 12, 7

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character 4 designates a drilling engine having the usual water cooling jacket 6 and radiator 8. The engine 4 also has a crankcase 10 on the lower side thereof for storing the lubricating oil. A main lubricating pump 12 is driven by the engine 4 to circulate the lubricating oil from the crankcase 10 through a suction conduit 14 and discharge conduit 16 to the main bearings, wrist .pins and other points of lubrication (not shown). It will be apparent that the oil pressure in the crankcase 10 and suction line 14 will be relatively low, whereas the pressure in the discharge line 16 will be sufficiently high to force the oil to the points of lubrication.

The main engine 4 is also provided with a starting engine 18 to warm-up and start the engine 4. The starting engine 18 is usually of the magneto type, and is there'- fore provided with a starting sheave 20 on one end of the crankshaft 22. A small rope or cord (not shown) is wrapped around the sheave 2t} and pulled by hand to spin the crankshaft 22 and start the engine 18.

In accordance with the present invention, an auxiliary oil or lubricating pump 24 is secured by a bracket arm 26 on the side of the engine 4 in aligned relation with the starting engine crankshaft 22. The arm 26 may be secured to the top of the engine 18 and the top of the pump Mby bolts 28 to support the pump 24 in the desired position.

An impeller or drive shaft 36 extends from one end of the pump 24 and has one-half of a flexible coupling 32 secured on the outer end thereof. Extending from the opposite side of the coupling 32 is a stub shaft 34 having a bar-like bracket 36 rigidly secured on the outer end thereof. The arm or bracket 36 is in turn secured to the outer face of the starting sheave 20 by a pair of bolts 38. The sheave 20 is drilled and tapped (not shown) at diametrically opposite points on opposite sides of the crank shaft 22 to receive the bolts 38 and align the stub shaft 34 with the crank shaft 22. In addition, the stub shaft 34 is aligned with the impeller shaft 30 as closely as possible to provide the most efiicient operation of the pump 24.

The suction of inlet 4% of the pump 24 is suitably connected by a conduit 42 to the low pressure portion of the main lubricating system, preferably to the crankcase 10 as shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, a suitable screen (not shown) is secured on the conduit 42 within the crankcase 10 to filter the oil circulated by the pump 24 as will be hereinafter set forth.

Another conduit 44 is connected at one end to the discharge or outlet 46 of the pump 24, and at its opposite end to the high pressure portion of the main lubricating system downstream of the main lubricating pump 12. As shown in Figure l, the conduit 44 is connected to the main lubricating discharge or high pressure line 16 by interposing a T connection 48 in the line 16 adjacent to the main pump 12. However, it is to be understood that the conduit 44 may be connected to the high pressure line 16 at any accessible place in the line 16 or its branch lines (not shown) leading to the various points of lubri cation.

A suitable check valve 55) is interposed in the line 44 to prevent a retrograde flow of lubricating oil through the auxiliary system, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth. Also, a pressure gauge 52 is connected to the line 44 upstream of the check valve 60.

Operation Preparatory to starting the drilling engine 4, a rope is placed around the starting sheave 20 and pulled by the the engine 4 and stopped.

. 3 operator to start the engine 18. As the starting engine 18 begins turning over, the auxiliary pump 24 is driven by the bracket 36, stub shaft 34, and coupling 32. The pump 24 forces a portion of the lubricating oil from the crankcase 10 through lines 42, 44 and 16 to the various point of lubrication of the main engine 4/ It is to be noted that this lubrication occurs before the engine 4 is turned over.

When the starting engine 18 has been warmed-up, it is coupled to the drilling engine 4 by a suitable clutching mechanism (not shown) to begin turning over the engine 4. As the engine 4 begins to warm-up, it starts operating under its own power. Lubricant is continuously supplied through the conduits 42, 44 and 16 during this warm-up period to assure an efficient lubrication of the engine 4. The main lubricating pump 12 starts operating automatically with the operation of the engine 4 to supplement the lubricant circulation provided by the auxiliary pump 24.

When the engine 4 is sufficiently warm to operate under its own power, the starting engine 13 is uncoupled from whereupon, the pump 24 stops and the entire lubrication of the engine 4 is performed by the main lubricating pump 12 through the suction line 14 and discharge line 16. As flow of oil through the line 4-4 stops, the check valve 50 closes to prevent any possible retrograde flow through the line 44, with a consequent by-passing of the engine 4. The gauge 52 provides a visual check to determine the proper operation of the valve 50.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention will reduce the maintenance costs and increase the service life of the oil and gas well drilling engines. The present system pre-lubricates the drilling engine and vperforms the major portion of the lubrication during the warming-up of the engine to prevent a dry-running period and damage to working parts. The present system may be readily attached to existing drilling installations with a minimum of alteration of the existing facilities. It is also apparent that the present system is simple in construction and may be economically manufactured.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as heretofore set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings, it being understood that any modification in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

In combination with a drilling engine having a main lubricating system, including a main lubricating pump, and a starting engine with a starting sheave; an auxiliary lubricated system comprising an auxiliary pump having an impeller shaft protruding therefrom, said auxiliary pump also having 'a suction and a discharge, a conduit connecting said suction to the main lubricating system upstream of the main lubricating pump, a conduit connecting said discharge to the main lubricating system downstream of the main lubricating pump, a drive shaft, a bracket on one end of said drive shaft remov-ably secured to the starting sheave, and coupling means connecting the opposite end of said drive shaft to said impeller shaft, whereby said auxiliary pump is operated to supply lubricant to the main lubricating system during operation of the starting engine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,331,765 Heinze Feb. 24, 1920 2,346,148 Bosma Apr. 11, 1944 2,696,203 Nallinger Dec. 7, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 134,605 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1919 

